Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view objects that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. There are three well-known branches of microscopy: optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopy.
Optical microscopy involves the diffraction, reflection, or refraction of electromagnetic radiation by an object, and the subsequent collection of the scattered radiation to create an image. This process may be carried out by wide-field irradiation of the sample (e.g. standard light microscopy) or by scanning a fine beam over the sample (e.g. confocal laser scanning microscopy). The development of microscopy revolutionized biology and remains an essential technique in the life and physical sciences.
The combination of an optical microscope with a network-connected mobile device has recently been suggested. A hybrid device of this type has several potentially useful applications. One particular application is in relation to healthcare, where the device could be used to take high resolution images of biological samples and send the images to a remote location for subsequent analysis. Other potential applications include macro photography, security and wellness. For security purposes, the device could be used as part of a verification technique to read micro-text and other fine-print features. The device also allows for the reading of 2D barcodes which have smaller dimensions than the current standard, allowing for considerable space-saving on packaging.
Although several mechanical solutions exist which enable microscopy on mobile devices, they tend to be bulky and relatively expensive.
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